Bucs’ Tristan Wirfs, Chris Godwin Expected To Return In Week 4
SEPTEMBER 27: Wirfs hinted that he would take the field in Week 4 with a social media post, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine, while her colleague Adam Schefter confirms that Wirfs, Godwin, and Baker Mayfield should all play. Mayfield has been dealing with a biceps injury,, but participated in practice every day this week.
SEPTEMBER 26: The Buccaneers offense is expected to get a major boost in Week 4 with both left tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receiver Chris Godwin on track to make their 2025 debuts.
Godwin practiced in full on Wednesday, had a planned rest day on Thursday, and returned to the field on Friday, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Wirfs had been limited for the last few weeks before an upgrade to full participation on Thursday. Both are officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup with the Eagles.
Godwin is coming off a season-ending ankle injury in 2024, while Wirfs underwent knee surgery in July. Tampa Bay opted not to place either on the physically unable to perform list to start the season, allowing them to ramp up over the first three weeks. Had they been on the PUP list, they would have been ineligible to practice until after Week 4 and would likely need a few more weeks to be game-ready.
Both returns couldn’t come at a better time for a Buccaneers offense that is dealing with injuries at wide receiver and along their offensive line. Mike Evans went down with a hamstring injury in Week 3 and will miss multiple games, while Tampa Bay has already started eight different offensive linemen this season. RG Cody Mauch and RT Luke Goedeke are on injured reserve, which has brought Luke Haggard and Charlie Heck into the starting lineup.
Godwin may still be on a snap count when he returns, but this is Wirfs’ third week of practice, which could position him to assume a full-time role right away. The Buccaneers could then move Graham Barton to center and Ben Bredeson to left guard, per Stroud, getting multiple players back to their natural positions.
Buccaneers DT Calijah Kancey Underwent Surgery, Could Return In Playoffs
Buccaneers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey is expected to miss the rest of the regular season due to a pectoral injury, but he has a chance of returning in the playoffs if Tampa Bay advances past the first round, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Kancey underwent successful surgery on Monday for what has been reported as a pectoral tear, according to FOX Sports’ Greg Auman. Offering a somewhat murkier timetable, Auman notes it is “too early in the recovery process to know whether he could make any kind of return this season if the Bucs had an extended playoff run.”
The Buccaneers were hoping that the 2023 first-rounder could take another step forward after his second-year leap to 7.5 sacks. Instead, he will miss virtually all of his third season, but he could still be an impactful postseason addition to the defense if his recovery goes smoothly.
Veteran defensive tackle Greg Gaines saw an uptick in snaps in Week 3 after Kancey was placed on injured reserve, as did rookie Elijah Roberts. UDFA Elijah Simmons made his NFL debut against the Jets and will factor into the rotation moving forward. Practice squad DT C.J. Brewer was also promoted to the active roster on Tuesday to provide more depth.
The Buccaneers seem confident in their young defensive linemen to fill the void left by Kancey’s absence, but upcoming matchups with the Eagles and Lions, two teams with strong offensive lines, will offer a significant challenge. If Tampa Bay struggles as Baltimore did against Detroit on Monday night, they could be in the market for a D-line addition by the trade deadline.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/23/25
As teams enter Week 4, here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Elliott Brown, S Patrick McMorris
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: K Ben Sauls, WR Deven Thompkins
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Otis Reese
- Released: CB Jalen Kimber
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Dan Chisena
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Luke Floriea
- Released: DE K.J. Henry
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Jakobie Keeney-James
- Released: WR Mecole Hardman
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: WR Tyler Scott
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Roy Mbaeteka, OL Kadeem Telfort
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: WR Lucky Jackson, RB Xazavian Valladay
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Tyron Herring
- Released: DB Corey Ballentine
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on injured reserve: RB Jacardia Wright
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Caden Prieskorn, DL Desmond Watson
- Released: S Jack Henderson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB Raheem Blackshear
The Falcons’ kicking rollercoaster took another turn in Week 3 with John Parker Romo missing both of his attempts in Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. Granted, those kicks came from 49 and 55 yards, so Atlanta may have some patience after signing Romo to a two-year contract last week. The Falcons still brought in some potential competition in Sauls, an undrafted rookie who spent training camp with the Steelers and made five of his six field goals in the preseason.
Wright is expected to be out for four to six weeks due to a foot injury, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Watson signed with the Buccaneers after the draft but remained on the non-football injury list as he worked to get his weight to a more manageable level. He was waived during final roster cuts, but the team hosted him for a workout last week, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman. Watson met the team’s athletic requirements to earn his way back on the practice squad, according to Auman, and will return just in time for the Bucs’ Week 4 matchup with the Eagles. The massive nose tackle does feel like a direct counter to the tush push, but Bowles previously said (via Auman) that Watson wouldn’t be re-signed just for one matchup and would instead need to be ready to contribute to the defense as a whole.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/25
Here are the latest minor moves around the NFL coming out of Week 3:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: OL Demontrey Jacobs
- Placed on injured reserve: RB James Conner (story)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed from practice squad: OT Brant Banks
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: WR Tim Jones
- Waived from IR: DE Alex Williams
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: TE Moliki Matavao
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: S Jerrick Reed II
- Signed: WR Cody White
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed from practice squad: DT C.J. Brewer
- Placed on IR: TE Ko Kieft
Kieft’s leg injury is likely to end his season, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The 27-year-old had just started his fourth season as a core special teams contributor for the Bucs and will now spend the year rehabbing before he hits free agency in the spring.
Buccaneers WR Mike Evans Expected To Miss Multiple Weeks
Mike Evans missed time last year due to a hamstring injury. The Buccaneers’ No. 1 receiver is once again in store for a stint on the sidelines for that reason. 
Evans suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday, and testing took place today to determine the extent of the damage. The worst-case scenario has been avoided, but a spell out of the lineup is still on tap. Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report Evans is expected to miss multiple weeks.
Notably, this latest ailment is affecting the opposite hamstring which was injured last season. The 2024 injury led to an absence of three games and nearly cost Evans his streak of 1,000-yards campaigns. Per the NFLN report, the six-time Pro Bowler’s current hamstring injury is less severe than the one he suffered last season. As such, there is optimism a long-term absence will again be avoided.
That would of course be welcomed news for a Buccaneers team which has dealt with numerous key injuries already in 2025. Tampa Bay’s offensive line is far removed from full strength, while the team’s WR room has been without Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan to date. Godwin could be back in the fold as early as Week 4, and with Evans now set to miss that game the Bucs would very much stand to benefit from a return on that front.
Evans has averaged 10 yards per reception so far this season, which represents a career-worst figure. The 32-year-old will break a tie with Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns (12) if he can reach that mark again in 2025. Today’s news will make it more challenging for Evans to do so, however.
The Texas A&M product recently revealed he could retire after the 2025 season. As a pending free agent, his future beyond the current campaign is unclear, and that will be especially true if serious thought is given to hanging up his cleats. For now, Evans’ attention will turn to recovering from his latest short-term ailment.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/20/25
Here are today’s minor moves and Week 3’s standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: T Jake Curhan, DE Anthony Goodlow
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: G Brandon Walton
Chicago Bears
- Signed from practice squad: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
- Elevated: CB Dallis Flowers, LB Carl Jones
- Placed on IR: T Kiran Amegadjie, CB Jaylon Johnson (story)
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: WR Kaden Davis, CB Dom Jones
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: WR Jayden Reed (story)
Houston Texans
- Signed from practice squad: FB Jakob Johnson
- Elevated: CB Myles Bryant, CB D’Angelo Ross
- Placed on IR: CB Jaylin Smith
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: TE Quintin Morris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: CB Kevin Knowles
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Alex Bachman, CB Greedy Vance
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: LB Emany Johnson
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: RB Cam Akers, G Henry Byrd
New England Patriots
- Elevated: CB Kobee Minor, LB Mark Robinson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed from practice squad: WR Kevin Austin
- Elevated: DE Fadil Diggs, TE Treyton Welch
- Waived: TE Moliki Matavao
New York Giants
- Signed from practice squad: OLB Tomon Fox
- Elevated: DT Elijah Garcia, LB Neville Hewitt
- Waived: WR Xavier Gipson
New York Jets
- Elevated: S Dean Clark, QB Brady Cook
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: S Marcus Epps, TE Cameron Latu
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: RB Trey Sermon
- Placed on IR: G Max Scharping (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: QB Adrian Martinez, WR Malik Turner
- Placed on IR: OL Spencer Burford
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed from practice squad: S Jerrick Reed II
- Elevated: S D’Anthony Bell, RB Jacardia Wright
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: T Tyler McLellan
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: CB Antonio Hamilton
- Released from reserve/retired list: OL Nate Herbig
There were some eyes on whether or not the Browns would add a kicker for the weekend after Andre Szmyt needed to undergo some MRI testing, but no such moves were made and Szmyt heads into the weekend without an injury designation. The team did report a workout with veteran kicker Matthew Wright, though, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire.
The 49ers will lose some additional offensive line depth as they place their intended swing tackle, Burford, on injured reserve. Additionally, with Martinez not getting signed to the active roster, it appears that injured starter Brock Purdy will not be active as an emergency option, as was rumored a bit yesterday. Purdy should be inactive as a result.
Herbig announced his retirement at the end of July after spending a good portion of the offseason with the Commanders. The 27-year-old was coming off a 2024 season in which he missed the entirety of the year with a shoulder injury. Washington’s release of Herbig from the reserve/retired list gives him an opportunity to sign with a new team as a free agent. There’s no guarantee that he’s headed anywhere specific, but he likely initiated the transaction in order to explore his options.
Week 4 Return ‘A Real Possibility’ For Chris Godwin
A Week 4 return from Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin “feels like a real possibility,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. 
Godwin returned to practice last week but has yet to be upgraded from limited participation. The same is true of left tackle Tristan Wirfs, though both were ruled out for Week 3. Wirfs’ timeline is still unknown, but Godwin seems to be trending in the right direction.
Godwin’s return would be a major boost to a Buccaneers passing game that seems to have taken a step back from last season. Tampa Bay currently ranks 26th in yards and 31st in yards per attempt, though they have been effective enough on the ground and defense to win their first two games.
The Buccaneers’ only other injury designation is rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (hip/groin), who is tied for the league lead with three receiving touchdowns through two games. The first-round pick missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday but returned in a limited capacity on Friday. Egbuka is listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup with the Jets; even if he misses the game, he should have a strong chance at playing in Week 4.
Once Godwin and Egbuka are back on the field with Mike Evans, they will form arguably the best wide receiver trio in the league. Godwin and Evans combined to average more than 150 yards per game in 2024, while Egbuka has looked the part of a first-round receiver thus far.
Buccaneers Place Luke Goedeke On IR, Promote Luke Haggard
As expected, Luke Goedeke will miss considerable time. The Buccaneers are moving their starting right tackle to injured reserve, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reports. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
Goedeke exited Tampa Bay’s Week 2 win with a foot injury. As of Tuesday, it was unclear how long he would be sidelined for. Today’s move ensures at least a four-game absence, however, so the Buccaneers will shorthanded to an even larger extent for the time being.
Left tackle Tristan Wirfs continues to recover from offseason meniscus surgery. His season debut could take place around Week 5. Meanwhile, right guard Cody Mauch will miss the remainder of the campaign due to a knee injury. Losing Goedeke for an extended period marks another blow for Tampa Bay up front.
The Buccaneers have relied on center Graham Barton at left tackle with Wirfs sidelined. Charlie Heck – who originally appeared to be in position to handle fill-in duties on the blindside – stepped in at right tackle following Goedeke’s injury on Monday. That setup will likely continue moving forward. Getting Goedeke back as soon as possible will be critical given Tampa’s other ailments up front, but also the team’s recent $90MM investment in the 26-year-old.
The Buccaneers have already added Dan Feeney to the offensive line mix today, along with a Sua Opeta reunion on the practice squad. Goedeke moving to injured reserve has opened up another spot on the active roster, and Auman notes Luke Haggard is being promoted from the taxi squad to fill it. Haggard spent last season on and off the practice squad; he did not make any regular season appearances.
That could soon change given this latest injury news for the Buccaneers’ offensive line. Multiple replacements will be counted on in the starting lineup, and Tampa Bay’s depth up front will be worth watching closely. Wirfs could be back in the fold relatively soon, something which would represent a massive boost to the Bucs. When that happens, though, it seems likely Goedeke will still be sidelined.
Buccaneers Sign Dan Feeney, Add Sua Opeta To Practice Squad
In the wake of major injury news on both sides of the line of scrimmage, the Buccaneers have made a number of moves. Defensive lineman Calijah Kancey is dealing with a torn pectoral muscle, while right guard Cody Mauch is also out for the year with a knee injury. 
The loss of Kancey prompted Tampa Bay to add defensive lineman Elijah Simmons off the Cardinals’ practice squad yesterday. Similarly, it was reported on Wednesday that the Mauch injury was expected to result in Dan Feeney being added from the Bills’ taxi squad as offensive line depth. Per Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, the Feeney addition has now indeed taken place.
The Bucs are already without left tackle Tristan Wirfs, although he is back at practice and eligible to play at any time. Right tackle Luke Goedeke is set to miss time, albeit without a firm timeline regarding how long he will be unavailable. The interior of Tampa Bay’s O-line will receive a boost once Wirfs returns, since that will allow for Graham Barton to shift back to center.
Especially until that takes place, Feeney will be a welcomed addition given his experience. The ninth-year veteran has made 120 appearances and 65 starts in his career. Feeney has yet to play this season, but he has experience at center (primarily from the 2020 season) as well as guard. Michael Jordan is in line to serve as a starter once again in Week 3, provided he is designated a gameday elevation on Saturday. Feeney will likely provide veteran depth behind him.
The same is also true of Sua Opeta. The 29-year-old was known to be taking part in a workout as potential fill-in options for the Bucs, and Auman notes a practice quad deal has been finalized. Opeta was sidelined for all of 2024 with an ACL tear, but after returning to full health he spent this past offseason with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay moved on during roster cuts, but Opeta (who made 10 starts across four Eagles campaigns) is now back in the fold as an option to be added to the active roster if needed.
Auman adds Tampa Bay is also auditioning Royce Newman today. A former fourth-rounder, Newman spent his first three years with the Packers before spending the 2024 campaign in Tampa Bay. He too would be a familiar face, but with Feeney on the active roster and Opeta on the practice squad, Newman may not land a deal in the near future.
Buccaneers RG Cody Mauch Out For Season
The Buccaneers offensive line continues to deal with injuries, and the latest one is a doozy. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, starting right guard Cody Mauch suffered a season-ending knee injury in Monday night’s victory in Houston. 
Tampa Bay has yet to see star left tackle Tristan Wirfs in a game this season. He avoided landing on an injured list to start the year as he works his way back from an arthroscopic knee surgery, and he returned to practice last week. Right tackle Luke Goedeke left the Buccaneers without either of their starting tackles when he left Monday’s game after only 15 snaps with a reinjured foot.
The news about Mauch comes as more of a surprise. The third-year guard didn’t leave the field at all on Monday night. This injury was suffered in the game, though, per Schefter, and whatever the nature of the knee injury turns out to be, Mauch was able to play through it to finish the game. It’s a really tough blow for the 26-year-old, who hadn’t missed a game since getting drafted in the second round out of North Dakota State in 2023.
Wirfs is continuing to practice and work his way back to the field, though it’s unclear if he’ll be ready for Week 3. Goedeke has not practiced this week, and though it’s still early, some have labeled him as doubtful to play this weekend. If either can’t go, it’s been Graham Barton filling in for Wirfs at left tackle, and it was Charlie Heck who came in to cover right tackle for Goedeke on Monday. Both have struggled in their respective substitute positions, so Tampa Bay will be eagerly awaiting good news on Wirfs and Goedeke.
The Bucs currently do not roster much depth on the offensive line, seemingly preferring to carry more bodies elsewhere. With two backups already employed, only last year’s sixth-round pick Elijah Klein and undrafted rookie Benjamin Chukwuma stand as backup options. Because of the scarcity, Tampa Bay is expected to sign interior offensive lineman Dan Feeney off of the Bills‘ practice squad, as first reported by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Greg Auman of FOX Sports adds that the team is expected to hold a workout tomorrow that will feature, at the very least, veteran offensive guard Sua Opeta, who spent the offseason with the team but failed to make the 53-man roster.
Feeney, 31, likely stands a better chance at stepping into a starting role for the Buccaneers than the inexperienced Klein and Chukwuma. As a 2017 third-round pick, Feeney spent three of his first four seasons in the league as a full-time starter for the Chargers at both left guard and center. After departing in free agency, Feeney struggled to find another role as a full-time starter, but he still found plenty of opportunities to get on the field, earning eight spot starts in the four years since leaving Los Angeles.
Tampa Bay will hope to see its luck on the offensive line turn around soon. Though Wirfs is working his way back to the field and Goedeke will continue to be evaluated throughout the week, there’s a chance the Buccaneers could be without three starters on the offensive line in this week’s game against the Jets. They know for sure, though, that they’ll be without Mauch, and that will continue to hold true for the rest of the season.